Leanna Theresa Deppe

Leanna Theresa Deppe, age 91, of Preston, IA, passed away Saturday October 29, 2022, at MercyOne Hospital, in Dubuque, IA. A funeral mass will be held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, in Preston at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, November 3, 2022. Visitation will be held Wednesday, November 2, 2022, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Law Jones Funeral Home, in Preston, as well as one hour prior to mass on Thursday, at the church. Burial will take place at St. Joseph's Catholic cemetery.

Leanna was born April 9, 1931, in rural Preston, IA, the daughter of George and Theresa (Etringer) Schaefer. She attended Preston schools, graduating from Preston High School with the class of 1949. Leanna then went to work as a switchboard operator for Clinton Telephone Company.

On June 22, 1954, Leanna married Kenneth Deppe, in Clinton, IA. They celebrated more than 45 years of marriage before his passing in 2000. While her children were young, Leanna served as a homemaker, before re-entering the workforce, once again as a switchboard operator, this time for Jackson County Public Hospital. A few years later she started with Jackson State Bank, in Maquoketa, IA. During her tenure there, the bank went through five name changes, ultimately becoming U.S. Bank.

After Kenneth’s passing, always looking to stay active and social, Leanna went to work for Dollar General. Finally in 2020, after many decades of hard work, and 20 years with the Dollar General, she retired for good.

Leanna found many ways to show her love to her family and friends, chiefly among them, her cooking and baking. The smell of pumpkin bars, scotcharoos, and chocolate chip cookies; each tastier than the last, routinely filled her kitchen. She’d lovingly fill order after order from her grandkids, and family could always count on phone calls inviting them to swing by the house for a treat.

Gatherings with family and friends were Leanna’s favorite parts of life. She loved playing cards around a table, and occasional trips to local casinos, but she absolutely lived for Christmas! Decorating, baking, shopping and gift giving; she loved it all! She also adored her local sports team. Whether it was the Iowa Hawkeyes, or Easton Valley, Leanna was tuned in and cheering.

Leanna will be dearly missed by her daughters, Susan (Larry) Ties, of Bellevue, IA, Linda (Bart) Lund, of Wilton, IA, and Laurie (Paul) Kraklio, of Durant, IA; grandchildren, Joanna (Jason) Johnson, Allison (Tim) Donovan, Cheralyn (Dan) Willey, Koby Lund, Kyle Lund, James Krause, and Jenna Krause; step grandchildren, Dayna Kraklio, Lucas Kraklio, and Faith Kraklio; great-grandchildren, Justin Johnson, Janyssa Johnson, Zoie Donovan, Cambrie Donovan, and Weston Willey; sisters-in-law, Dianne (Harvey) Seiler and Gladys Wallace. Leanna is preceded in death by her parents, George and Theresa; husband, Kenneth Deppe; son, Dennis Deppe; brothers, Ronald, Venoid, Edmund, Harold, and Joseph; sisters, Rieneilda, Sieverna, Marcella, and Marielda; and father-in-law and mother-in-law, Louis and Irene Deppe.